Gov. Fitial impeached by House

Feb. 12, 2013

Outcry: Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Gov. Benigno Fitial holds the CNMI flag during a break at the 12th Micronesian Chief Executives Summit at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort on Dec. 4, 2009. Following what's been called an outcry from the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, legislators are moving along an impeachment process. Pacific Daily News files

Written by

Armando Cordoba
Pacific Daily News

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives yesterday voted to impeach Gov. Benigno Fitial.

The House adopted 13 of the 18 articles listed in a resolution to remove the governor. The remaining five will be considered today.

Rep. Tony Sablan said all 13 allegations discussed yesterday received more than the 14, or two-thirds votes, needed to send the allegations to the CNMI Senate. Several of adopted articles are related to allegations that Fitial temporarily released a federal detainee in January 2010 so she could give him a massage. ...